Surfactants (surface active substances which reduce the surface tension of water) are widely used, e.g. as wetting agents, in detergent compositions, in cosmetics, and in various other products. Because surfactants having different properties are needed for a variety of applications, new surfactants are highly desirable. As just one of many possible examples, a major problem in modern laundries is the deterioration of appearance of polyester-containing fabrics after continued washing, and effective surfactants are among the best approaches to improving the performance of detergent compositions in cleaning of such fabrics.
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a class of novel compounds that are useful as surfactants. Another object is a class of detergent compositions having improved cleaning performance.